Last Updated: July 2026
Unprocessed emotions, from anger to grief to fear, don’t just vanish; they often lodge themselves in your physical being, manifesting as tension, pain, or other discomforts.
Your body is more than just a vessel—it’s a map of your emotional life. At the Institute of Body Psychotherapy, we see this every day in our work with Core Energetics, a somatic approach that helps people reconnect with their bodies to release these stored emotions.
Why is my body storing emotions?
- If you recognise signs like tension or fatigue in yourself, you’re not alone.
- Many of us were taught to disconnect from our bodies to cope or succeed.
- Reconnection is possible—and it’s transformative.
- It starts with noticing the signs, then gently releasing the emotions to relieve your mind and body.
- At the Institute of Body Psychotherapy, we help people come home to their bodies, reclaim their vitality, and live more fully in the present.
What are the 5 Physical Signs Your Body is Storing Emotions?
Here are the signs that your body might be holding onto unresolved emotions—and how to recognise them in your daily life.
1. Chronic Muscle Tension
Do your shoulders feel perpetually tight? Does your jaw clench without you noticing? Chronic muscle tension, especially in the neck, shoulders, or back, is a common sign of unprocessed emotions. Anger or stress often settles in these areas, creating a physical armour that protects you from feeling vulnerable but also restricts your emotional flow.
How to Recognise It: Notice if your muscles feel tight even when you’re not physically active. Do you catch yourself hunching your shoulders or grinding your teeth during stressful moments? This tension might be your body holding onto emotions you haven’t fully expressed.
2. Persistent Fatigue or Low Energy
Feeling exhausted despite getting enough sleep? Unresolved emotions like sadness or suppressed grief can weigh heavily on your body, sapping your vitality. This isn’t just mental fatigue—it’s a deep, physical heaviness that makes even simple tasks feel overwhelming.
How to Recognise It: Pay attention to whether your tiredness feels disproportionate to your activities. Do you feel drained after emotional interactions or when thinking about certain memories? This could be your body signalling unprocessed emotional weight.
3. Unexplained Aches and Pains
Sudden or recurring pain in your back, chest, or joints—without a clear physical cause—can point to stored emotions. For example, heartache or betrayal might manifest as chest tightness, while fear or insecurity could show up as lower back pain. In Core Energetics, we view these pains as the body’s way of speaking what the mind hasn’t processed.
How to Recognise It: Reflect on when the pain started. Does it flare up during specific situations, like conflict or stress? If medical causes are ruled out, these aches might be linked to emotional holding patterns.
4. Shallow Breathing or Holding Your Breath
Your breath is a bridge between your body and emotions. When you’re holding onto fear, anxiety, or suppressed anger, you might unconsciously restrict your breathing—taking shallow, chest-only breaths or even holding your breath entirely. This limits your body’s energy flow and keeps emotions stuck.
How to Recognise It: Observe your breathing during moments of stress or emotional triggers. Do you feel like you’re not getting enough air, or do you catch yourself holding your breath? Shallow breathing often signals emotional avoidance.
5. Digestive Issues or Gut Discomfort
The gut is often called the “second brain” because of its deep connection to emotions. Unresolved feelings like anxiety, shame, or unexpressed anger can manifest as stomach pain, bloating, or irregular digestion. Your gut might be trying to process what your mind hasn’t.
How to Recognise It: Notice if digestive issues arise during or after emotional events, like arguments or stressful workdays. If dietary changes don’t fully explain the discomfort, it could be tied to emotional storage in the body.
Why Does Noticing These Emotions Matter?
Holding onto unresolved emotions doesn’t just affect your body—it dims your emotional awareness, strains your relationships, and disconnects you from joy. Over time, these physical signs can lead to chronic stress or even illness if left unaddressed. The good news? Your body is also the key to healing.
In Core Energetics, we use movement, breath, and energetic awareness to help you release these stored emotions. By tuning into your body’s signals—rather than overriding them—you can begin to process what’s been held inside. This isn’t about analysing your feelings but feeling them in your body, whether through a deep breath, a stretch, or a guided somatic exercise.
How to Start Releasing Stored Emotions
- Pause and Sense: Take a moment each day to scan your body. Where do you feel tension, heaviness, or discomfort? Simply noticing is the first step.
- Breathe Deeply: Practice slow, diaphragmatic breathing to reconnect with your body and release emotional blocks.
- Move Your Body: Gentle movement, like stretching or shaking out your limbs, can help loosen stored emotions.
- Seek Support: Working with a somatic therapist trained in Core Energetics can guide you to safely process and release emotions.
Ready to explore this journey? Join us to learn how somatic practices like Core Energetics can help you release what’s been held and rediscover your aliveness.
Individual & Couples Sessions in Brisbane & Sunshine Coast
Whether you’re on a healing journey or simply feeling out of touch with yourself, body psychotherapy offers a space to reconnect and realign with what matters most.
Andrea Alexander offers body psychotherapy sessions in both Brisbane (Kelvin Grove) and the Sunshine Coast (Maroochydore), as well as online.
Ready to Reconnect With Your Body?
Or feel free to get in touch if you’d like to learn more.
Learn more about our core energetics therapy, somatic therapy, group psychotherapy, core energetics training, core energetics techniques and workshops and how we can help you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to hold onto emotions in the body?
When we suppress difficult or threatening emotions, our nervous system responds by physically bracing. This becomes chronic tension, also known as physical “armouring”. The emotion isn’t just a mental memory; it becomes biologically locked in your tissues.
What is body psychotherapy?
Also known as somatic psychotherapy, it is a therapeutic approach that focuses on the connection between the mind and body. Unlike traditional talk therapy, which focuses primarily on thoughts, somatic therapy incorporates physical awareness, movement, and breathwork to help your nervous system regulate and release stored emotional distress.
How do practitioners help you release emotions?
We use techniques such as grounding, conscious breathing, and dynamic physical movements to help the body discharge held tension. By actively moving the energy associated with the emotion, the body is able to release it and return to a state of balance.
Can you do body physiotherapy or emotional release on your own?
While deep emotional trauma should generally be processed alongside a trained therapist, you can practice baseline emotional awareness and release techniques at home. This may include journalling and breathwork.